


Hold Me Tonight

by Damalia (Achrya)



Series: EreminAU week, 2016 [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 16:48:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6965068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Achrya/pseuds/Damalia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren, and his pancham Patches, have just won their first badge but instead of sleeping soundly he’s sitting up, watching his best friend sleep, and thinking.</p><p>Eremin Week: Day 3, Video Game</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hold Me Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> Drown in the fluffs!

 

“Patches, body slam!” Eren shouted. His heart was practically beating out of his chest, his hands, and everything thing else, were sweaty, and his mouth was desert dry. He was so close to finishing, to  _ winning _ , that he could taste it. He was on the edge of his platform, clutching the railings and leaning forward as sweat dripped into his eyes. 

He knew he had to stay calm and not get too excited or lose his cool...but it was so close. They were both on their last Pokemon and both were tired and scraped up already. It was going to come down to the next few moves for sure. 

If this worked...

Patches, his pancham,  leapt and crashed onto his opponent’s zoroark hard enough to kick up a huge cloud of dust. He held his breath, fingers flexing on warmed metal, squinting as the dust started to settle to reveal

Yes! 

The zoroark was down on one knee, eyes wide and dazed, complete still. The body slam had managed to paralyze it!

“Now comet punch!” 

Patches smirked around the leaf in her mouth before jumping at her opponent again, fists a blur as she rained down blows on the zoroark. 

“Sonny!” Gym Leader Hanji shouted, practically climbing over the railing with a stricken look on their face. It was only the quick actions of their partner, Gym Leader Ral, grabbing the back of their coat that kept them from jumping down into the arena. 

And then it was over. Patches hopped back, small body heaving as she breathed hard, and the zoroark fell forward onto the arena floor in an unmoving heap. Eren’s heart leapt into his throat as he watched it happen. 

He’d done it. They’d done it. They had- how? How the hell had he actually managed that? He couldn’t believe it. He had to be dreaming. 

“Eren!” His name being shrieked was all the warning he got before a weight was crashing into his back and arms were flung around his neck. He stumbled for a moment then straightened up while craning his neck to look down at the top of Armin’s head. “You did it! You got your first badge!”

His first badge. Holy shit. This...this was maybe the best moment of his entire life. 

Armin wiggled around to hug him properly and Eren swallowed around a lump in his throat. 

Definitely the best moment of his life. He could only think of one thing that would make it better but asking for it was more likely to ruin the moment then add to it. So instead he kept his mouth shut and hugged his friend back, letting Armin’s loud and infectious joy thaw his shock.

He had done it! He had just won his first badge! He’d been looking forward to this moment what felt like his entire life, traveled far, battled other trainers, and built up his team for this and now he’d actually done it. 

Or started to do it anyway, there were still 7 badges to go for the Wall region but still. He felt like this, not when he and Armin had set out from their homes to start this journey, was really the start of things. 

The hug ended, though Armin’s grin stayed huge, and he let himself be tugged down the stairs and around to the arena floor when Hanji and Petra were already waiting. Hanji’s zoroark was gone, already recalled to it’s pokeball and Patches was sitting down and resting but hopped to her feet to meet them in the center of the arena. He reached down to pat the top of her head, which earned him a playful swipe of paws to push his hand way. 

Hanji squinted then sniffed before holding her hand out, palm up, to show the small dark purple badge. “I can’t believe I got beat by a kid and a tiny cute bear.” 

Eren smiled broadly and Patches made an amused chuffing noise. 

\---

After getting his badge, and the not inconsiderable amount of money that came with winning, they stopped at the Pokémon center so the rest of his team could rest and heal up, had eaten, and then after a brief discussion decided to leave the city while it was still light out. 

They were both still buzzing with excitement, chattering about anything and everything as they walked. Armin, specifically, was focused on the umbreon and espeon Hanji had used during the battle, much to Eren’s amusement. Armin wasn't much for battling and only had a few Pokémon to his name. His eevee, Ray, was always at his side and if asked Armin was always quick to say he didn't care about evolutions or what, if anything, Ray might become. And yet he was speaking of Hanji’s umbreon and espeon almost reverently.

He'd thought about teasing his friend about his seeming change of heart but something about how bright Armin’s eyes had gotten, the way he became breathless with excitement, and the way his cheeks flushed as he spoke made him hold his tongue and listen (and watch) instead. He liked how Armin looked when he got worked up about something or had stumbled across a new tactic for Eren to consider for his battles. He wondered, sometimes late at night when he was sure Armin wasn't awake to notice him being a total creep, what sort of other things would make his friend look like that. 

He had ideas. Thoughts. His overactive imagination shamelessly filled Armin, pink cheeked, breathy, and wide eyed, into his fantasies. He always felt guilty about it after, like he was betraying Armin's trust or...making their friendship dirty somehow. If Armin knew it would change everything. Maybe he would think Eren was weird or gross. Maybe he wouldn't want to travel, just the two of them and their Pokémon, anymore. 

He wouldn't have been able to stand that. They'd talked about this their whole lives and now they were doing it, making the journey they'd so carefully planned as children. He didn't dare do or say anything that might mess that up. 

Even if Armin hugging him earlier had been warm and perfect and made him melt inside.

Between that memory, the thought of how excited Armin had looked all afternoon, and how keyed up he still was from the battle sleep was hard in coming. Armin was in the tent they shared, his soft even breathing the only sound in their little camp aside from the crackling of the campfire. Ray and Patches were asleep as well, curled up together by the fire, and Eren was sitting and watching everything. 

Mostly he was alternating between letting his fingers dancing over the badge, a purple and black infinity symbol, and staring at the tent and trying not to think about Armin. It was easier said than done. His mind kept wandering back to the hug and how happy Armin had looked. Happy for him. Happy that Eren was achieving the dream that Armin had always supported without question. 

He didn't understand why that hug, that bit of lingering contact, had him all messed up. They'd hugged before. They slept in the same tent for goodness sake, sometimes ending up pressed against each other by morning, so it wasn't like touching didn't happen. So why this hug? Why couldn't he shake the image of Armin looking up at him, blue eyes wide, pink lips parted slightly, arms around his neck and-

“Why are you still awake?” Armin’s voice, thick with sleep, rang out. Eren jumped, nearly losing his grip on his badge, then looked up from the fire to find Armin peering out of the tent at him. His eyes were half closed, heavy lidded, and his hair was flattened on one side and starting to tangle on the other and…

It was cute. 

He felt his cheeks heating up and looked away, hoping it would either go unnoticed or would be attributed to closeness to the fire. “Not tired.”

“Get tired.” Was the prompt response. “We’re going to hit the mountain paths tomorrow so you need to be rested.”

That was true. They had a few days of hiking ahead of them and starting out with no sleep wasn’t going to do him any favors. And yet.

He shook his head. “I’m fine. You go back to sleep.”

Armin let out his ‘God, you’re an idiot’ sigh (Eren was very familiar with Armin’s various sighs and what they all meant) before retreating back into the tent. Eren expected that to be the end of the matter but, instead, he was treated the sounds of Armin shuffling around inside the tent, some faint grumbling, and a zipper being done. Or undone? He wasn’t too sure. 

A moment later Armin stumbled out of the tent, a determined look on his face. That too was a look Eren liked; thin lipped and fiery eyes. ...it was possible he just really liked looking at and studying Armin’s faces and moods, if he was being honest with himself. He sat, blinking owlishly, as Armin first added more fuel to the fire then stalked over to grab him by the arm and tug him to his feet. Eren realized what was happening and tried to protest, frowning while insisting that he wasn’t a child who needed to be put to bed. 

Armin’s look was one of flat amusement, as if to say ‘sure you aren’t’. 

He could have stopped Armin from leading him to the tent if he wanted but he told himself he didn’t want to wake Patches and Ray, who looked very comfortable together in the warm glow of the fire, nor did he want to trigger Armin’s stubborn streak. No one did stubborn like Armin did; once he’d settle on an idea there was nothing short of serious injury that was going to stop him for reaching his goal. 

He ducked past the tents front flap then stopped, staring in confusion at what he was seeing. Normally their sleeping bags were side by side with an ‘appropriate’ amount of space between them. (Sure they sometimes ended up kind of cuddling but they never started out that way.) This time, however, their sleeping bags were unzipped and laid on top of each other. 

Amin pushed past him then, without a word, kicked the top blanket to the side and flopped down on the bottom one.

Eren continued to stare. 

“Stop making that face.” Armin muttered as he rolled onto his side. “And get in.”

Eren looked over his shoulder, wondering if maybe he did want to deal with Stubborn Armin instead but, able to feel the other glaring at him, he eventually relented. He took off his shoes quickly then laid down on the opposite side on the sleeping bag, careful to make himself as small and as far away from Armin as possible. 

Armin made an exasperated noise then flopped over, closing what was actually a small gap (It wasn’t that big a tent) between them to toss one leg over Eren’s legs and an arm across his chest. His head found a spot on his shoulder; warm puffs of breath danced over Eren’s neck. He stiffened, staring up at the top of the tent with wide eyes.

What the hell?

“Remember when we were little? And you had those bad dreams?” Armin murmured as he shifted even closer, body warming Eren’s side from toe to shoulder. “And I’d sleep in your bed like this because you said it helped you sleep?”

Between Eren’s mother getting sick and his father, the great professor, being too busy roaming the world and doing research Eren had...had a rough time for a while. Any kind of peace had been hard to find. But having Armin as his side, warm and familiar and safe, talking to him about the different regions they could visit once they were old enough had been about the only thing that helped at all. 

But that had been years ago. They were older, his mother had recovered, Mikasa lived with them now, and his father...well his father was who he was. There was no changing that. They hadn’t shared a bed, on purpose, in nearly six years. 

“Armin-”

He was shushed with a soft noise and a pat on the chest. He laid there, unsure. Armin was so close he could smell him, sweat and grass, and feel the rise and fall of his chest and every breath danced across his suddenly sensitive skin and it wasn’t bad. It was the opposite of bad, so nice that it was making his head swim and hands itch to touch Armin back. 

“I can’t do this!” He pushed himself up so he was sitting, dislodging Armin as he did so. 

Armin made an annoyed noise before speaking. “Do what?”

“This. Sleep with you like this.” Eren said as he turned to look down at Armin. “I can’t. It’s just...I. You.” 

Armin’s eyebrow went up. “That’s very articulate Eren. I understand completely now.” 

Sometimes Armin was an asshole. Eren liked that too. He wasn’t sure there was anything he didn’t like about Armin or think was attractive about him or that there were ever times he didn’t want to reach out and kiss him and have him close to him not just to hug him (though he liked the hugs) or anything like that. He wanted...this. This closeness, feeling Armin breathe and. Just. 

Ah. 

Damnit.

He fisted the front of Armin’s shirt then hauled him forward as he leaned towards him. Their lips met and it wasn’t the best kiss Eren had ever had, not even remotely: tight-lipped, foreheads smacking, noses banging together, hard and basically a mess. He had a moment of mental panic because he. Was. Kissing. Armin. And badly at that!

Then Armin’s head tilted slightly and the angle changed and oh!

Their lips slotted together as a smaller hand curled around the back of his neck and it was better. Softer, easier, and everything was suddenly fitting just right. And it wasn’t the occasionally (often) filthy kisses he dreamed about but it was better in a way because it was...it was very Armin. Careful and curious, a slight parting of lips and a touch of tongue but nothing more, and so very very warm. 

When they parted it was with him gaping in shock and Armin blushing hotly but smiling. Eren didn’t protest as he was pushed back down or when the other sleeping bag was pulled into place over them. He did feel confused for a moment when Armin laid down facing away from him but then a hand grabbed his arm and tugged him so he was on his side as well and then

Okay. 

He got it. 

Armin shifted so his back was against Eren’s front. Their legs touched then tangled together and Eren’s arm found a place around Armin’s waist.

“Can you sleep like this?”

Honestly? Probably not. He was going to, without a doubt, pop an unfortunately timed boner and be incredibly embarrassed about it when Armin became aware of it. Which, with how close they were, was inevitable. 

“Yeah.” 

“Go to sleep then.” Armin’s hand pressed against the back of his, slotting their fingers together. “Hiking tomorrow. We need to leave early if you want to be at Nile’s gym by the weekend.” 

And he did want to do that because the sooner they got to Gym Leader Nile the sooner he could get his next badge and the close he was to having all eight. 

He also wanted to kiss Armin again. It was conflicting. 

Armin’s head turned and a soft kiss was pressed to the corner of his mouth. “Sleep.” 

Eventually, after a few more quiet kisses were exchanged and he got used to Armin being tucked against him, he did just that. His last fleeting thought was that _this_ was the best moment of life. 

**Author's Note:**

> I typed a lot of this on my phone so...please let me know about any suspect autofills/autocorrects I may have missed. (somethingsomethingcockslutmuffinssomething)


End file.
